The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-12-15
HAEiA}' Is \ COZ pLET.
Another writer Enters the Field and
Gives an Opinion.
Especial Cor. 81 ATE CHEoNIcLF

I
IoUISBURG, n c.. Dec g. 1sS.-
Solomon saws. He that passeth by and
neddloth with strife belonging noJ to him:
Is ike one that taketh dog by the ears
But an iutcIt 9tec. reader of the Marginaia
may not te considered as passing by and
every reader may be expected TO have an
opinion even if not credited with an idea,
even light opinion may sometimes kindle
argument. and argument impels to thought,
an expression of the same may not be
meddlng. as Mr.. 5. submits TO readers The
case IL question, Nv hat Is Couplet!
Previous to this had formed no inde-
pendant opinion in regard to Its detini
ton merely accepting as an article of
faith without research the information
gained from photographers that a cOuplet
was two lines of verse rhymlng with
each other" Indeed had | formed diff
ferent opinion, and been so unfortunate
as to have expressed it, my excellent
teacher would soon have converted me by
active remonstrance, and to further i'm
press it upon my mind | would have been
made to learn and recite at recess about
twenty five of the same, and after those
heated discussions of the schoOl-roOm one
would regret to think of it now as ''all
1 bosh.n And it would be discouraging to
/ the student to find he has no valid au
! thority in his books Of reference When
! he has no time for a broad sweep over the
! literary world before using doubtful
word. If Gas Mr.. S. says 'the great writ
! crs are the law givers, and photographers
! simply recorders" then their reports
/ should be unquestioned authority. for 4
writer enthused with his subject is more
/ liable to err in his phraseology than COM
petaut cOmpiiels who attheir leisure make
careful selections from cOpIous material.
-. lnct ~
Of argument by pulling out his corner
stone to use as the key stone. Whom he
quotes Minto, saying Of DeQuincey
''N0ue Of our writer's in general literature
have shown themselves SO scrupul Jusly
precise for be it remembered perfect is
incomparabe Besides the inference is
til other writer's are less scrupulous.
The Rev. James 4. Boyd, author of
Elements of Rhetoric, Electic Moral Phi
losophy, Editor of English Poets, with
notes, &c, says Of Lord kames' Elements
of Criticism, "There seems to be no 9th
er work even at this date that is fitted to
supply its place, For without great dsad
vantage to the cause of education can it
be laid aside. The editor has been prompt
cd to expend large amount of labor for
the Improvement Of the work of Lord
kames that its usefulness may be increas-
cd and perpetuated in colleges as we'll as
public and private libraries. The present
volume is not an abrdgment of kames
but great value has been added to the
original work by numerous additions the
most important OF these are derived from
Cousin on the Beautiful; from lectures of
Barron, Haziitt, and President Hopkins;
from Lord Jeffrey's celebrated dissertation
Oh Beauty Tin his review of Allison on
taste): and from an elaborate essay on the
Philosophy Of Style contained in a some
what recent number of the Westminster
Review Now such authority after MUCH
LABOR gives us the following definition OF
Couplet, in treating Of rhyme and blank
verse: ''In the former the lines are con
nected two and two by similarity of sound
in the fual syllables: and two lines SO con
nected are termed Couplet: Similarity
of sound being avoided in the latter, Cou
plets are banished."
EUGENE HALL.